Produce News for December 1, 2008

BING CHERRIES (Monday, December 1):  You know this week they’re turning on the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lights so you know in the produce department when I walk down the produce department this time of year, those lights for me, those Christmas tree lights, right in this box.  Oh, they just got air shipped in from Chile.  New crop Bing cherries have now come in.  Take a look at these.  In fact, this is the first time I’ve seen them so let’s pour one of these out and see how they look.  Now, of course the first of the season are always going to have a little bit lighter color, but these actually have really good color and look at the shine.  Look at the glossiness on those. Oh, my!  It looks like somebody just painted those with glossy paint, they’re so good.  And the other thing I noticed.  Take a look really close.  Take a look at the nice green stems.  That’s exactly what you’re looking for.  Now look, these came like 3,000 or 4,000 miles away to be here and look how fresh they still look.  Now of course the bottom line is of course the flavor.  So let me be the first to see.  (Takes Bite)  Mmm.  Juicy, plump, and sweet. 

ASPARAGUS (Tuesday, December 2)  Hey, happy birthday!  Brittany Spears this week turns 27 years old.  So what should I talk about today?  How about spears?   We’ll talk about spears of beautiful asparagus coming in from Mexico, and Chile, and Argentina.  You know it happens to be spring in that part of the country or in that part of the world.  Take a look at the size of these.  This is what want to put next to a steak.  In fact, for my holiday meals (I do a lot of entertaining for the holiday season) and one of the vegetables I’m going to have is a lot of asparagus.  Now when you’re picking out the best asparagus, what do you look for?  Come right up here. The tips.  Make sure these tips are very, very tight and see that little purpling on it?  (Gasp)  I love the purpling on it because that means it grew in a little bit cooler conditions at nighttime, and that means sweater spears of asparagus.  By the way, when you get them home make sure you cut off the bottom, put them in a little bit of water, and refrigerate them.  They’ll keep a lot better for you. 

CANTALOUPE (Wednesday, December 3):  Holiday entertaining, I love it this time of year. You’re going to have a lot of family and friends over – you better have a lot of family and friends over.  And you kind of run out of ideas for like fruits to serve.  There’s a lot of citrus and apples.  Well, may I still suggest that we can still get some…actually some pretty good cantaloupe.  Now may I suggest something, however, this time of year?  When you get your cantaloupe, here’s what I want you to do.   I want you to take it home and put it  out on the countertop.  Do not in a million years put it in your refrigerator this time of year.  I want it out on your countertop.  That means it’s room temperature, a little bit warmer certainly than in your refrigerator, and that means the acids in this cantaloupe will dissipate, and that means you’ll end up with a sweeter tasting cantaloupe.  So even though its wintertime or almost wintertime, you can still have some fabulous summer cantaloupe. Just keep them out on the countertop.  Let them ripen, and oh man, your guests will  say, “Wow!  Where’d you get that from?” 

BANANAS (Thursday, December 4):  You know this time of year I know some of you get your bananas home and you figure, man, they’re just not ripening up very well.  Well, you know it is wintertime, and the bananas will ripen a little bit slower in cooler temperatures, especially as it gets cool in your house.  So here’s what I suggest.  When you are at the store, buy bananas that are actually a little bit riper than normal.  Now see this is actually what I would buy right here.  This has a little bit still too much green.  It’s what we call a green tip, and it still has too much green on it so it may not ripen up as well, but if you buy a banana that’s a little bit riper, no as much green, it’s going to taste so much better for you.  By the way, when you do get them home even this time of year, make sure you turn them over.  Let me show you what happened here.  Somebody did not turn these over and they stored them like this, and they just ended up bruising like that.  So when you store them, make sure you store them like this.  That way all the weight is right down here, and you’re not going to bruise your bananas – nothing worse than a bruised banana.   

WATERMELON (Friday, December 5):  Oh, would you take a look at this beautiful watermelon?  What, watermelon?  That’s right, watermelon.  I know it’s not July 4th.  It happens to be, you know, Christmas time coming up.  Well, why do I like watermelon?  Figure it out!  It’s red and green. I love watermelon this time of year.  Well, where is it coming from?  It happens to be summer somewhere in the world.  Where do you think that might be?  That’s right – Southern Hemisphere.  So in Central America, South America, the southern part of Mexico, we’re starting to get a lot of watermelon and actually these are tasting really good.  Take a look at this.  Look at the red color.  Now I know this is one of those beautiful personal size watermelons, but man, just look at the color!  I’ve tested it.  It is just as sweet out here as it is in the very heart.  Oh, in fact Bud Abbott said of Lou Costello, “He has the heart of a Texas watermelon,”  Now, I know this isn’t a Texas watermelon, but it is sweet like Lou Costello.